As great as this season was, you're right, the finale did seem a bit anticlimactic. But Milch might have been hamstrung by history here. The real George Hearst rode out of Deadwood alive, and when he left, Seth Bullock and Al Swearengen were still kicking, too. Milch has taken some dramatic license, but he's stayed pretty true to the historical facts. I guess since there wasn't a satisfying ending to Hearst's stay in real life, there wasn't one in the TV series either.

That being said, it's a shame we'll never be able to see Milch finish this off the way he wanted to. Season 3 was up there with the greatest runs of TV ever, and I have a feeling Season 4 would have been just as compelling, what with the Bullock-Alma storyline, the aftermath of the elections, etc. I realize there are two movies coming, but I would have loved another 13 episodes.

I knew they weren't going to kill Hearst, since he is an historical figure of some import. Bullock and Swearingen, not so much. If you're not purporting the film is a "documentary," your obligation to stick to "historical facts" is pretty limited.

totally disagree ... that was a great ending..... the whole setup of deadwood was about a lawless city before government and big money set up rules and laws.... the whole city rose up and tried to stop government and big money and couldn't do it. and now you're left with the feeling that government and big money are just as corrupt, maybe even more corrupt, than swearingen. there was less killing when there were no real rules. heck, charlie utter was making sure black men got to vote... milch is a genius and the finale was his best piece of work.

totally disagree ... that was a great ending..... the whole setup of deadwood was about a lawless city before government and big money set up rules and laws.... the whole city rose up and tried to stop government and big money and couldn't do it. and now you're left with the feeling that government and big money are just as corrupt, maybe even more corrupt, than swearingen. there was less killing when there were no real rules. heck, charlie utter was making sure black men got to vote... milch is a genius and the finale was his best piece of work.

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Sigh.

I don't really want to get into this, because I agree with a lot of what you said (Milch is indeed a genius, and this episode was better than some are giving it credit for). But once again, it seems like you're taking your point of view to a ridiculous extreme, just for the sake of being a contrarian.

I realize everyone has different tastes, but there is no way this was Milch's "best piece of work." It just wasn't. Yes, he proved that "The Man" (i.e., Hearst, or the politicians in Yankton, or the civilized world in general) is just as corrupt and just as heartless as Swearengen ever was. And yes, the stuff with Bullock showing restraint, then wondering how he was going to lay his head to his pillow that night, was poignant. Yes, Charlie Utter had a couple of great scenes. And as always, Al had his fantastic moments with his Indian head and his bloodstain.

But Jason, remember when you used to lecture all of us about how we were too stupid to realize when an episode of The Sopranos wasn't all it should have been? Well, I think the tables are turned here. Through 12 episodes, Season 3 of Deadwood was nearly perfect. But you have to admit, this finale doesn't stack up against the finales of the first two seasons. The payoff to the whole acting troupe storyline wasn't nearly big enough to justify all the time Milch spent on it. Same with the Joanie-Jane thing. The effect of Ellsworth's death on the Bullock-Alma relationship wasn't explored enough. The first two finales did a much better job of bringing everything together.

Again, I'm not disputing the fact that this was a good episode, or that Milch is brilliant. It's just that I find it funny you're taking the exact opposite stand on this than the one you took when The Sopranos slowed its pace and went for subtlety.

Look, Jason, I'm all for contrarianism. But when you disagree with the consensus every freaking time, it kind of loses its effectiveness. Sooner or later, people are going to stop paying attention. And then when no one comes to help you out, the wolf is going to smother you in Gates BBQ sauce and eat you alive...

what you miss is the sopranos slowed down for all 12 episodes... deadwood was action packed throughout the season and chose to end without a lot of bloodshed but simply the truth. big money and "big" government won. that was very, very powerful.... the other thing you don't realize is that i watch this show passively. i'm not as into it as the other shows. last night i watched very closely and thought it was great. had a discussion with the folks i watched it with about how great i thought it was. i didn't come on this board to find out what was being said before forming my own opinion. milch isn't doing scarface. swearegin wasn't going down with his knives blazing and his head buried in woo's opium....they lost and moved on.

dedo, i'm not a columnist because i wait to see what everyone else is thinking and then state my opinion. i get out ahead of the curve. that's why when the sopranos season ended the prevailing sentiment was the season was a dud. that can't be disputed. i just happened to see the dud before some of you on here.

Gotta remember context, folks: When this episode was scripted and shot, everyone was still assuming there would be a fourth season.
That said, it was sad that Al had to kill Johnny's fave whore (and a reminder that as much as we've grown to love him, he's still a badass). The episode left a feeling of sadness, the feeling of having gotten rid of Hearst at too high a human cost.
Kind of like watching the Red Sox win tonight...at too high a price, knowing the potentially life-threatening situation John Lester must deal with, that Schilling's a no-go Monday, and God only knows what's wrong with Papelbon...